Summary: The Benefits of Avocado on Skin Health and Appearance
Beneficial Fats: Avocados are rich in a type of beneficial fat called monounsaturated fat which helps to maintain the integrity of the skin barrier and as a result, the moisture and hydration of the skin.
Antioxidant-Rich: Many of the nutrients and phytochemicals in avocados, including the vitamins, C and E, copper, monounsaturated fatty acids and the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, have antioxidant capacity, thus protecting the skin from damage caused by oxidation.
High in Fibre: Avocados contain fibre which supports a healthy gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome is linked with healthy skin.
Contains Skin Healing Nutrients: Some of the nutrients present in avocados also assists with wound and skin healing via the production of the skin’s most abundant proteins, collagen and elastin.
Topical Benefits Also: Avocado oil can be extracted from avocados and used topically on the skin.
Avocado and Skin Health
When it comes to skin health and appearance, the foods we eat can have significant impacts, either positive or negative. Avocado is one of those foods that has phenomenal benefits on the health of our skin. In this ingredient spotlight, we will outline exactly why and how avocado is absolutely a key beauty food that you should incorporate into your diet if you haven’t already.
Why and How is Avocado Beneficial for the Skin?
Rich in Monounsaturated Fats:
Avocados are a plentiful source of beneficial monounsaturated fats, in particular, oleic acid. The membrane of skin cells is composed of a natural fat-rich bilayer that helps to maintain the integrity of the skin. It forms a barrier to control which substances can enter into the skin and which cannot. Foods rich in beneficial fats, like avocado, assist with the formation of this essential skin barrier. This helps to prevent moisture loss, thus assisting with the maintenance of skin moisture and hydration.
Monounsaturated fats have also shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is through chronic oxidation and inflammation that we get accelerated modifiable and premature ageing. Also skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are characterised by chronic inflammation, and so dietary consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids through foods like avocado may aid with the prevention and management of these conditions.
Interestingly, a cross-sectional study that looked at the link between diet and skin ageing in 716 Japanese women showed that a higher intake of monounsaturated fat was significantly associated with increased skin elasticity.
Contains Antioxidant Vitamins C and E:
Avocados are one of the few foods that contain significant levels of both of the antioxidant vitamins, C and E. As established above, oxidation and inflammation are involved in increasing the rate of cellular ageing, including the ageing of our skin cells and in turn, our skin. Vitamins C and E obtained through the diet in foods like avocado, play a powerful role in antioxidation, helping to protect the skin against accelerated ageing caused by oxidation and helping to protect against UV-induced damage. Studies have even shown that aged and sun-damaged skin have lower vitamin C and E levels.
High in Fibre:
Avocados also contain dietary fibre, both insoluble and soluble dietary fibres, which are essential for overall good health. Soluble fibre is required to help feed the beneficial gut microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) which make up our gut microbiome, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. Ensuring a favourable balance of beneficial microbes compared with harmful microbes is essential for overall good health, including for the health of our skin. A poor balance of beneficial and harmful microorganisms (also known as gut dysbiosis) is linked with accelerated skin ageing as well as a number of skin conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne vulgaris and rosacea. Eating a diet rich in dietary fibre has beneficial impacts on the gut microbiome and can, in turn, positively impact the health and appearance of our skin.
Rich in Nutrients Involved in Skin Healing:
Vitamins and minerals from our diet also play a role in skin healing in the event of wound formation or as a result of skin concerns that impact skin integrity, like eczema and psoriasis. Avocados contain significant amounts of some of these skin healing nutrients, including copper and vitamin C.
In the skin, copper stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are the major structural proteins found in skin and are essential for skin elasticity, hydration and of course, overall skin structure. Copper also aids one of the body’s potent antioxidant enzymes called superoxide dismutase, and therefore also helps to minimise oxidative damage of the skin cells. In regards to the pigmentation of our hair and skin - resulting from the cells in our body that produce melanin - copper also plays a role in this. In addition to its antioxidant abilities, vitamin C from the diet plays a role in stimulating collagen formation. Collagen is also vital for the prevention and treatment of wounds and keloids.
Contains Beneficial Antioxidant Carotenoids:
Avocados are rich in two important carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the pigments responsible for the yellowish and orange colour of avocados and other plant foods. Not only are avocados rich in these carotenoids but the high fat content of avocados makes these carotenoids highly bioavailable and absorbable by the body. These two carotenoids have potent antioxidant capacity and can protect the skin from damage caused by both UV and visible radiation. They do this by decreasing the secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules like cytokines. They have even been shown to help recycle glutathione which is a highly powerful antioxidant in the body. The cross-sectional study mentioned above also showed that a higher intake of green and yellow vegetables, like avocado, was associated with less facial wrinkling.
Avocado Oil Can be Applied Topically:
Avocado oil, which as the name suggests, is the oil derived from the avocado fruit. Rich in monounsaturated fats, a study has shown that 12 weeks of topical application of avocado oil to the skin increased skin elasticity and reduced the volume and prominence of nasolabial folds.
We delve into more detail about the benefits of topical avocado oil here.
